Beyond Labels
by castor442
Summary: Sometimes, especially on days like this, Elijah thought Alaric's description of their charges as the manic threesome or any other moniker was rather apt.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or its Characters.**_

* * *

For an inanimate object, it looked pretty terrifying just lying there. The two young men stared at it in nervousness, the blond one having to pour and down another shot of whisky just looking at the damn thing. The brunette had his fingers in his mouth, nails chewed almost down to the skin, and his legs bounced up and down in jittery motions.

"The longer we wait, the more riled they're going to get" Enzo spoke suddenly, his fingers leaving his lips

"Oh, we are well past that, mate. They are going to blow up anyway" Klaus concurred, moving to pour another drink

Enzo snatched the glass away. "Would you stop bloody drinking, and take some responsibility? This is partly your fault"

Klaus eyes narrowed as he glared at him over the bottle he had opted to now drink straight from. "My fault? If you wankers had just looked properly before crossing the damn road, none of this would have happened"

"You think the road is where this nonsense started? Have you forgotten whose idea it was to antagonize that old woman?"

"How was I supposed to know she was a witch? And it was your doing we were at the bar in the first place, we could have just drunk however much we wanted right here"

"You **knew** she was a witch; you were testing her because _'I never met a witch who didn't want to hurt me'_" Enzo ended, mimicking Klaus' posh accent. "She just wanted to talk!"

"Shrewd old women, or witches, don't talk to young men in bars. They don't go to bars period! They sit at home, and plot evil schemes while knitting scarves and baking pies"

"She was not in the bar; she was outside it - in the street. And she was very polite, but you went and annoyed her, and now Damon is paying for it!"

"Fine, it is my fault. Is that what you want to hear me say? It doesn't solve our problem, mate!" Klaus all but yelled. Enzo glared at him, before hurriedly picking up the phone and pressing a key before he lost his nerve. Klaus deflated immediately; eyes wide as he regarded Enzo. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing? We weren't ready…"

"Niklaus this had better be very important"

_Uh oh_

* * *

The silence on the other end seemed to stretch for an eternity before it became too much for both of them. "E-Elijah?" Klaus managed to stutter, almost wishing there won't be a reply

"I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrongly. Did you say something along the lines of there has been an accident and Damon is in the hospital?" Elijah asked calmly. Too calmly

"Y-Yes" Enzo swallowed. "Where is Alaric?"

"Apologizing to our very esteemed guests for why we may have to cut our trip short. Would you like me to put him on?" he asked in that same faux calm voice, though it sounded quite threatening to Enzo

"N-No, that won't be necessary" he said quickly

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get these group of people in a room together without any bloodshed?"

"We're sorry Elijah. It's just…"

"When did this happen?"

They jumped at the sound Alaric's voice. "Uh, a few hours ago?"

"Hmm. Why are we hearing of it just now" Alaric asked. Klaus and Enzo looked at each other but stayed silent. "Okay, walk us through what happened again" he demanded

"Uhm, so Damon was a bit distracted while crossing the road and got hit by a truck. There were too many people around for him to just vamp-speed out of there so…" Enzo hastened to explain. "Well, the humans bundled him to the hospital in an ambulance, and we followed. You know, so that when he healed, we could bring him home…"

"Why would Damon need your help to get home? Compelling a few nurses and orderlies to forget doesn't seem like a lot of work for someone like Damon" Elijah cut in

"Uhm…well, you see…that…it was not exactly…"

"What. Happened?"

"There was a bit of an incident earlier…" Klaus begun

"Earlier? When was earlier?"

"Two…days…ago?"

"Two days. What happened two days ago?"

"Well, we were at a bar…in town…we were in town, and there was this woman. The short of it is she did something, something that affected Damon more…"

"Affected Damon? Old woman? Niklaus, what happened to him?" Elijah asked, calm façade dropped in lieu of franticness

"She made him sick, of sorts" Enzo took up the narrative again. "He's been vomiting, like a lot, these past couple of days…"

"And you didn't think to call? Some witch - I'm assuming it was indeed a witch because nothing else I know of can cause a vampire to be sick - hexes or curses or does whatever to your partner in crime and you didn't think it was an important detail to know? That is why he's still in the hospital isn't he? Because whatever she did is causing him not to heal. Would you like to add something more, boys, or do I have the gist of it?" Alaric asked coldly

Klaus and Enzo wisely kept their mouths shut. This had gone south rather quickly, though it seemed it had never been north to begin with.

"We'll be there in three hours. Don't leave the house" was the last thing they heard before the line went dead.

* * *

In what seemed like a reversal of roles, Enzo paced the waiting room animatedly while Klaus sat this time, wringing his hands. Elijah and Alaric had asked them to meet them at the hospital since it was on the way to where they lived and it didn't seem like good sense to go and come back, though they had a sneaky suspicion it had nothing to do with time at all. They were vampires, time itself was inconsequential to them. But here they were, Alaric and Elijah's bags at their feet - they had arrived in a taxi - waiting while they sorted out their mess. Meredith Fell was about an hour and half away - Elijah had called her as soon he hung up on them - and they were almost done with compelling Damon out of the hospital. Well, Elijah was almost done anyway; Alaric was sitting with Damon.

Klaus jumped to his feet when Elijah appeared, the abrupt action shocking Enzo into stopping his dizzying pacing.

"Which car did you come in?" he asked

"The Audi" Enzo answered

"Good. Keys" he said, hand stretched out toward whoever had them, which happened to be Klaus. He grabbed their luggage without another word, jerking his head in a 'come-on' gesture towards them just as a gurney rolled into view, Alaric closely behind.

Klaus and Enzo both watched in awe as the person on the gurney was revealed to be Damon. They didn't have much experience with injured people; Enzo did a bit since he had died of tuberculosis as a human; but that was so long ago he had forgotten the outlook, and Klaus had been at the top of the food chain for, well, forever. Suffice to say, they were not accustomed to this view of weakness. With an oxygen mask strapped to his face, an IV in each arm, a bandage wrapped around his head, a cast on his right leg and several small wires disappearing into places they didn't know, he didn't look anything like the suave young man they knew. Instead he looked quite pallid, and still; Damon Salvatore was never still.

"They're bringing him home in an ambulance" Alaric said suddenly from somewhere behind them, making them jump. "I'll ride with them. You go with Elijah" he reiterated

They nodded numbly, then folded themselves into the back seat of the car Elijah had brought around to the front while they were gawking at Damon's transportation. None of them even thought about calling shotgun, hastily pulling their seatbelts on as Elijah flew after the ambulance.

* * *

A pattern was fast developing as the day wore on, with Alaric picking up the pacing. He paused long enough to accept a third glass of bourbon from Elijah. Meredith had arrived half an hour ago, and was now upstairs checking Damon over. Alaric and Elijah had yet to speak to Klaus and Enzo, and it was evident in the way they huddled at the dining table and glancing over occasionally that they dreaded when that time came. Elijah threw them a glance as he removed his suit and tie and folded up his shirt sleeve, content in leaving them to stew a little. They had barely scratched the surface of what had really happened, he knew, but there would be time to discuss that later. He turned his attention back to the enhanced original.

"You should sit down"

Alaric huffed, before settling into an armchair. "Sorry. Just, what is taking so damn long?" he asked, only to jerk back towards the stairs as Meredith came down.

Klaus and Enzo jumped to their feet, and Elijah put down his whisky to address the doctor. "Miss Fell, how is he?"

Meredith sighed. "You never keep it boring, do you? Should I even ask how a **vampire** ended up being involved in a** car accident** and falling into a coma to top it off?"

Elijah glanced at Enzo and Klaus, who both found the carpet rather interesting. "We would very much like to find out too"

She nodded. "Well, he'll be fine. He's healing - slower than a vampire but way faster than a human - and it's probably a good idea you got him out of the hospital before anyone noticed. All his bruises are gone, that gash on his head is halfway healed and should be completely gone by tomorrow morning. He should wake up in a couple of hours. I recommend getting some blood into him to speed up the process…"

"No! No blood" Enzo shrieked suddenly. "Those just come back up, painfully"

Meredith frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He can't keep anything down. Everything he tries to ingest, he just throws up" Klaus explained further, eyeing Elijah and Alaric from beneath his eyelashes

"He's sick? How is that even possible?" she asked, confused

"Apparently, it involves a witch, a bar and a lot of vomiting" Alaric said icily, glaring at the young men on the couch

"I'm sure it's a very fascinating story, and we are just dying to hear the full version" Elijah added

"Magical vampire flu, why not" Meredith muttered. "If he can't keep down blood, it'll slow down his healing more. Give it to him intravenously if you will; I trust at least one of you knows how to do that?" she paused for an answer, continuing when they all nodded. "Good. I'm going to write you a prescription for him; I don't know if it will help him like a human but it sure won't make him worse". She scribbled out a prescription and handed it over to Alaric. "If you would be so kind as to call me a cab, I'll take my leave"

"I can drive you to the airport. There's no need for a cab" Alaric said

Meredith just chuckled. "I know, but it's no big deal. Besides, I think you're needed more here" she said, nodding towards Klaus and Enzo. "I don't think they can wait any longer. And I have to stop over at Yale to see my daughter anyway"

"I almost forgot, how is Ashley?" Elijah asked. "She's starting Yale?"

"She's fine, and she's starting her junior year" she laughed at the look on his face. It was always funny to see when they realize how much time has passed after an event. "I think my ride is here. Alright, see you soon and I hope it's under better circumstances"

"See you soon. And thank you, Miss Fell" Elijah said

Klaus and Enzo watched with trepidation as Meredith Fell's uber disappeared into the horizon, knowing that their reprieve from Elijah and Alaric's glares and questionings was over. The dreaded time had come and there was nothing to do but face their problems. The loud click of the front door closing sounded like a gunshot in the eerie silence as Alaric and Elijah finally turned their undivided attention to their charges.

"Now, let's hear that story again. And from the beginning this time if you don't mind boys"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or its Characters.**_

* * *

Klaus winced as the sounds behind the door reached his ears. It didn't sound pleasant, and the person making it, less so.

"You okay there, mate?" he asked through the door

"Oh, just swell, matey. The sounds you heard was just me being incredibly ecstatic to be introduced to the porcelain beauty in here" Damon snarked darkly. "What the hell do you think?"

"Wow, being sick just brings out the best in you love"

"I am **not** sick! I'm just temporarily inconvenienced" Damon denied vehemently, though leaning against the cool bathroom wall, sluggishly wiping at his lips and his face visibly flushed with what could only be a fever was not painting a very convincing picture

"Uh huh, sure you're not" Enzo said as he joined Klaus at the door, holding a mysterious bag

"Wha-what are you doing here? I thought you were out finding the bitch that did this so she could reverse it" Damon rasped

"I was, but no one has seen her or knows who she is. She seemed to have appeared out of the blue. So, I took that time to go to a pharmacy"

"A pharmacy? For what?"

Enzo and Klaus rolled their eyes. Damon seemed to be slower to comprehension with his illness. "Are you absolutely certain your brain cells are not getting fried by the second or something? Why would I go to a pharmacy if not to get medical supplies for you?"

"Look around you. Does it look like there is a single thermometer in this house?" Klaus added amidst Damon's glare

"Are you okay to move?" Enzo asked

"I think so" Damon said, shakily moving to his feet, and immediately having to grab the sink for support. "Whoa. Give me a sec"

Klaus huffed. "Let's just get this over with" he said as he scooped Damon up in a bridal carry, ignoring the protests that brought on, and gently laying him down in his bed

"I hate you" Damon grumbled, before snuggling into the pillows. He was so damn tired!

"Of course, you do. Stay still" Klaus replied as he took a thermometer from Enzo and shoved it under Damon's tongue. "Don't push it out" he warned softly when Damon grimaced and made to do just that.

"This is lame" he settled for glaring and muttering instead, keeping the former up until the thermometer beeped.

"94˚. Is that good or bad?" Klaus asked. "What is our normal anyway, I never checked"

"89˚" Damon muttered sleepily. "Augustine kept very meticulous files" he explained further when Klaus raised an eyebrow in confusion

"It's true. They were good like that" Enzo agreed somberly. The Augustine days were always a sore topic for him

"So, he has a fever?" Klaus asked

"A very high one, apparently" Enzo replied. "We should give him some fluids. That's what all the medical pages are saying"

"First of all, _**he**_ is right here; stop talking about me like some child. And second, you're diagnosing me from the internet? Seriously?"

"Well, it's not like we can drive you to a hospital, so yes, the internet it is"

"We could always call…"

"Are you fed up with life already? Cos if you are suggesting what I think your suggesting…"

"I meant call Meredith. She's a doctor. Trust me, as miserable as I'm feeling, I still value my life too much to be calling those old grouches" Damon said, then groaned loudly. "Look, I've puked all the alcohol in my system, and I can't get through this sober. Get me some bourbon"

"Really?" Klaus spoke, unimpressed

"What? You said fluids. Last I checked bourbon wasn't solid"

"Okay, but maybe you should have some blood first" Enzo tried to placate, leaving the room and returning a second later with a bottle of bourbon and three glasses

"Bourbon first, then blood" Damon replied, throwing down three shots in succession and sighing blissfully at the familiar burn as it traveled down

"Easy there, mate" Klaus said as he threw back his first glass

"Why? It's not like … oh no … oh shit …" Damon clasped a hand over his mouth, looking positively green as he dashed to the bathroom with dizzying speed. He made it just in time to hurl into the toilet bowl. It seemed to go on for several minutes before finally stopping. "Okay" he breathed. "Maybe blood first will not be such a bad idea" he added with a groan

* * *

"_Wait, when did this happen?" _

"_Tuesday"_

"_Okay, go on"_

* * *

Damon greedily gulped down the blood Klaus so helpfully provided, sighing in relief when it didn't make an immediate reappearance. To be on the safer side though, all three boys waited with bated breath for a couple of minutes, visibly relaxing when some color returned to Damon's rather pale face. The vampire in question closed his eyes and melted into the pillows, fully intending to sleep the exhaustion away; and Klaus and Enzo left him to it as they slinked off to their own agenda.

A little over an hour later and Klaus frowned from behind his easel. That was rather odd, he thought, as he dropped the brush and stared at Enzo, who had been reading and now had discarded the book. "What in the blazes was that?" he asked his companion just as a sound they had become rather acquainted to in the last few hours reached their ears. He groaned. "Not again"

They made it up the stairs just in time to watch Damon eject a stream of blood into the toilet bowl. This time it appeared to be worse that the others as it wouldn't stop pouring out of him long enough to even breathe.

"Bloody hell" Enzo cursed

"I think I'm dying" came Damon's pitiful declaration when he got a little reprieve

"You are not dying" Klaus attempted to placate

"How the hell do you know that?" Damon screamed between breaths. "I feel like my insides are being pulled out of my mouth, and not gently. And … oh God" he cut off suddenly as another cramp hit and he dove towards the toilet. He heaved for a full minute without pause before finally slumping against the wall. "Why do I have to be the one suffering for your damn mistake?" he levelled at Klaus

"Me?" The hybrid yelled indignantly. "Nobody dragged you to the bar mate, you went on your own volition"

"This is not about the bar. If you hadn't gone and annoyed that woman, I wouldn't be here puking my guts out. And then when she decides to curse you, I get caught in it. How is that fair? I didn't even say anything to her"

"Well forgive me for putting our safety first" Klaus sneered

"Safety? She was seventy, at least. I doubt she could remember a knitting spell"

"And yet, she was able to spell you into that toilet bowl"

"This was meant for you! I just got in the way, unfortunately. Your ungrateful ass should be the one upchucking his soul away" Damon returned. "Call Alaric and Elijah" he announced suddenly

"What?" came the shocked replies

"Call them now. Damn the consequences. I would take listening to Elijah's sanctimonious lectures or being pulled over Alaric's knees every day for a thousand years if it means I don't have to go through this anymore. Even my hair hurts!" Damon lamented

"You think they will do something like that?" Klaus asked, and they all just knew what he was talking about

"Are you kidding? Alaric is one phone call away from an angry bartender or the Sherriff, from pulling out his belt, and I swear if Elijah hears of another or our 'shenanigans' we wouldn't need chairs" Damon rasped as he tried to breathe through the nausea

"You know they will kill us, right?" Enzo, who until then had been content to watch them squabble, asked

"I don't care! Maybe then you'll get what I'm going through" the sick vampire replied, before ducking back down into the porcelain throne when the nausea set in again. _**"**__Oh, mon Dieu je vais mourir __**(Oh, dear God I'm gonna die)"**_

"You are not going to die. Come here" Enzo said, after Damon had dry-heaved a couple of times. He lifted his semi-lethargic form off the floor and into the bath tub he had filled while they argued. "Let's get you clean and in bed. Klaus, would you please change the sheets?"

"Sure" the blond said, pushing himself off the door to do just that

Damon batted Enzo's hands away when he attempted to help him bathe. "I can do that myself" he growled

Enzo raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, sorry. Don't drown" he added before leaving the bathroom

* * *

"_If Damon was in so much pain, he was willing to risk our wrath by calling, why are we just now hearing about it?" Elijah asked_

_Enzo swallowed. "Because he was slightly better after the bath. He even managed to sleep through the night without vomiting. And when he woke up this morning, he suggested we go out to eat, and get some fresh air. He said it was stuffy in here"_

"_So, you left the house with a sick and - seeing as how he hasn't been able to keep any blood down - obviously very hungry vampire, took him out into the streets where there were walking and breathing meals, to eat and get some '__**fresh air'**__? You couldn't just sit by the pool and order pizza?" Alaric asked, his tone indicating exactly what he thought of their plan_

"_Tell us about the accident. Did it happen while you were going into town or returning home?" Elijah asked_

"_Uhm, both?" Klaus replied_

* * *

Klaus grabbed Damon's arm for the third time in as many minutes. The boy looked flushed, and though he had his eyes closed very tightly, he could still see the red veins around his eyes. Two drops of blood fell ono his arm as Damon bent over it, breathing heavily. "Get a grip, mate"

"What do you think I'm trying to do" Damon growled through clenched teeth, eyes still shut tightly. The drops of blood had been from him biting into his lip painfully with his fangs. Luckily, they were near an outdoor café and so Klaus quickly steered him to a table and sat him down to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

"This was a terrible idea. We never should have left the house" Enzo lamented

"Whose idiotic idea was it to bring a hungry vampire into the busy street anyway?" Damon rasped

"Yours" Klaus answered promptly

"And you listened? I haven't eaten anything in two days!" Damon yelled back indignantly

"We should head back, before you start tearing into jugulars" Enzo said, making a move to help Damon up

Damon nodded his acceptance, but batted his hands away for the second time when he tried to help him. "I'm fine. Let's just go before I do something, we may all regret" he said, standing up so wobblily the chair fell back, before almost staggering into the road, Enzo rushing after him in concern.

Both Enzo and Klaus heard the car long before it made impact; long enough for them to grab Damon and be halfway home by the time it would have made it to their position. But there were too many witnesses, and so they watched in open horror as the car slammed into Damon with a loud bang, hurling him into the air several feet before he hit the asphalt with a sickening crunch, rolling over numerous times before finally laying still.

They were still stood, dazed with shock as several people dialed 911.

* * *

_They looked up at Alaric and Elijah as their story came to an end, waiting for them to say something._

"_It's late, and you've had a long day. Get some sleep" Elijah begun. "You too, Niklaus. We will stay the night" he added when Klaus started putting on his jacket so they could leave_

"_We'll sit up with Damon tonight. And when he wakes up tomorrow, we'll all have a nice little chat" Alaric added in a tone that made both young men gulp before blurring off to their respective rooms._

_Tomorrow was going to be a long day._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or its Characters. **_

_**Warning: My medical knowledge is vastly inaccurate, so if you somehow notice something that shouldn't be the way it's been portrayed, just remember the fiction part of fanfiction.**_

* * *

Damon woke up slowly. His face scrunched up and he curled up before stretching himself fully and opening his eyes. Alaric couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the scene. Meredith was right. His visible wounds were all healed, even the horrific gash on his head was gone, leaving smooth alabaster skin in its wake. The cast they decided to leave on. If he woke up and it was no longer needed, it will be easy enough to cut it lose. They had also removed the IVs that were feeding him fluids and blood.

Damon startled at the sound of the chuckle. He peered at the owner of said chuckle and instantly felt more awake

"Shit" was the first word he could master

Alaric was tempted to laugh, but resisted. He adopted a stern disposition instead. "Good morning to you too, Damon. How do you feel?"

"Wha… huh?" Damon was confused

"Your leg. Can you stand on it?" Alaric continued the questioning. "How about your arm? Can you move it? Do you feel pain anywhere?"

Damon continued to stare stupefied, until a_ 'well?'_ prompted him along. He sighed deeply. "We're screwed, aren't we?" he asked

"Basically" Alaric agreed. "You still haven't answered my question"

Damon huffed and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm fine Ric" he grumbled, then promptly proceeded to hit his hand against the bed violently, cracking the caste open. He tore it from his hand and repeated the process with his leg.

Alaric watched the display with some amusement. "Good. Get dressed and come downstairs. Elijah made breakfast" he said as he started to leave

"I'm not hungry"

"It wasn't a request" Alaric threw back over his shoulder before the door closed behind him. He heard the shower start to run as he started to descend the stairs

By the time Damon made it downstairs, everyone else was seated at the dinner table, Klaus and Enzo looking for the world like they wanted to be anywhere but there in that particular moment. They mirrored his feelings perfectly.

"Damon, you're up. How are you feeling?" Elijah asked, dressed immaculately as usual

Damon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew they had all heard as he took a shower and hence knew that he was awake, but he held himself in check. "I'm fine Elijah. Thanks for asking"

Elijah gave a small smile. "You should dig in" he said, gesturing to the waffles. "From what I hear you haven't been able to get much in the way of sustenance in the last couple of days, needed or otherwise. You must be famished"

Indeed, Damon was starving, and for certainly more than human food, but the waffles felt dry in his mouth as he contemplated Elijah's words. When he had woken up with Alaric by his bedside, he knew they knew but now that Elijah had spoken, he wondered just how much they knew.

Elijah and Alaric watched their charges as they ate, looking anywhere but at the two of them. They were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and they weren't going to make them wait long. Elijah watched Damon as he saw everyone had glasses of blood except him.

"Dr. Fell said you had flu-like symptoms, and your friends here say you have been vomiting a lot. We thought not to risk it until we knew how well you've healed" he explained

"Dr. Fell? Meredith was here?" Damon asked

"Yes" Alaric answered. "And if what she said is true, and it's like the flu, then it would get worse before it gets better" Alaric added. "You would take fluids intravenously until we can figure this out"

"Does that include bourbon?" Damon asked cheekily under his breath, though it was heard clear as day by all in the room

Klaus had a small smile and Enzo hid his chuckle in a cough, but neither Alaric nor Elijah were amused. "This is all funny to you isn't it?" Alaric asked, a hard edge to his tone

That sobered them up pretty fast. "No. No, it's not" Damon answered quietly. He knew when to pick his battles and now was definitely not a good time. "It's just, I don't like needles very much"

"Well, I doubt anyone does, except maybe drug addicts. But you created this mess, and consequences are a bitch now, aren't they?" Alaric said, enraged. "Two weeks! That's all we asked for. And you couldn't not get yourselves in some kind of trouble during that time"

"Oh, I'm very sorry my being cursed got in the way of your little getaway!"

"It wasn't really our fault. We go out all the time. How were we supposed to know this time was going to be any different?"

"We are not children. If we wanted to go to a bar, why shouldn't we?"

"And that old hag was downright creepy. Who knew what…"?

"**ENOUGH!" **Elijah bellowed as he looked to restore some semblance of order. "You will shut your mouths until you have something sensible to say. You want to make an argument about not being children, yet you go around starting fights and getting into trouble just because you thought someone looked 'creepy'. What is more childish than that? And then to top it off, you foolishly decided to keep it a secret that one of you was grievously injured enough to need a human hospital. You still want to go around defending your maturity?"

That cowed them into silence, and Alaric picked it up from there. "You think we were on some vacation? Really?" he levelled at Damon. "And we know you are not children, Klaus, and you can go to a bar any time you damn well please. But hiding that a witch was involved in Damon getting magically sick? That was foolish. You are vampires. Your speed and your strength are amazing and all, but the boost to your immune system? That is what enables you to get out of most of your harebrained stunts unscathed. Compromising that can be very dangerous, and the fact that you don't get that or you just don't care about it makes me think maybe you **are** children after all" Alaric spoke, incensed. "Do you have any idea how it felt to have been on the receiving end of that kind of call?"

Damon turned to Enzo and Klaus. All this while, he'd thought Alaric and Elijah just came home early. To think his own friends were responsible… "You called them? What happened to figuring it out on our own?"

"You got hit by a car" Klaus replied without pause

"And fell into a coma" Enzo added just as fluidly

"Bonnie is at a boarding school in Switzerland, Damon, in case you've forgotten. You don't have the leisure of quick fixes anymore. We have enough people coming after us on an almost daily basis, you three are not going to add foolishly hiding being cursed and grievous injuries to that. I even want to know if you have a papercut" Alaric continued. He cut off Enzo when he opened his mouth to say something. "I'm not done. Since you seem incapable of not managing to almost get yourselves killed in the shortest possible time without supervision, Elijah and I spent all night coming up with solutions"

"Solutions? To what? Are we problems to be solved now?" Enzo finally got his say, frowning in bewilderment

Elijah didn't skip a beat. "Yes" he answered plainly. "Now…"

"No way. You can't be serious" Damon interrupted. "You want me to sit here and watch you give me rules on how to lead my life?" he chuckled humorlessly. "Whatever they served you on that plane must have messed you up really good for you to think that will happen" he added

"Damon…"

"What, Ric? I'm the victim here, and you want to punish me again? Not happening"

"Really?" Alaric said chillingly as he stood from his chair and stared Damon down. "The only reason you can sit somewhat comfortably in that chair and mouth off to us right now is because of your _**being a victim**_. So, if I want to give you an encyclopedia worth of rules that are meant to keep you out of trouble and alive, you will sit quietly and listen. But if you want to snark and whine, I can give you something to really be pouty about. Do you want that?"

Damon's head jerked up as the meaning behind the words finally caught up to him. "You wouldn't" he expressed, shocked

Alaric stood and pulled his leather belt from the loops. He slammed it hard onto the table, rattling the dishes and cutlery, and minus Elijah, startling the three errant beings at the table. "Try me" the words dripped with venom as he stared Damon down. Even Damon Salvatore had some measure of self-preservation, and he ducked his head in silent surrender. "Do either of you have anything you want to get off your chest now, hmm?" he asked Klaus and Enzo, who shook their heads quickly in unison

"Good" Elijah continued. "Now, first things first. I went to the bar last night to find the old witch who did this, but apparently, she was just passing through because no one has seen or heard of her before or after that night. That means she can't reverse whatever is happening to you Damon. I have a theory, but it would require us to observe you for the next couple of days to authenticate. If I'm wrong, we'll bring Bonnie back from school so she can fix it…"

"If you're wrong? Why can't Bonnie come now? Do you know how much it has hurt these past few days hurling my guts out?" Damon cut in, infuriated

"… Until then, Dr. Fell wrote a prescription for human flu drugs that we are yet to fill. You will take them. I'm not sure how much it will help, if it will even, but I'm certain it will not make you any worse" Elijah continued like he hadn't been interrupted

"I'm not gulping down any pills" Damon said firmly

"They come in suppositories too, let me point out" Alaric said matter-of-factly, the look he was giving Damon clearly stating which he would prefer

Enzo and Klaus couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled forth from them at the priceless look on Damon's face. He gawped at Alaric in shock, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. He then sniffed and ducked his head.

Elijah continued. "As soon as you are fine, Alaric and I have to go back to complete the meeting you pulled us out of, and you are coming with us"

"What?! Why?" Enzo screeched, unbelieving

"Because the meeting is important, and since you have proven your inability to contain yourselves and not cause a nuisance or get in some form of trouble without supervision, you are coming with" Elijah explained calmly

"But…"

"No buts Niklaus. Its final" he said. He dropped a piece of paper onto the table. "Now, this is the prescription Dr. Fell left. I'd like you to get it filled at the pharmacy. And Lorenzo, you pick up some more blood bags at the hospital" They both stared at him, uncomprehending. "Was I unclear? Go!"

Both young men scrambled to get out of the house and run their errands respectively. Being cooped up in a house with a seething Alaric and Elijah was not good for people's health. They felt a swell of pity for Damon as they split at the entrance.

Elijah turned his attention to Damon as Klaus and Enzo left. "You look a bit pale. You should head back upstairs and lie down"

Damon groaned. "Come on, I just woke up and I feel much better. I don't need to go back to bed"

"Alaric may be the strongest of us all but he's been a vampire for considerably less than either of us have. He still remembers the flu, so if he says you'll get worse before you get better, I'm more inclined to believe him" Elijah stated calmly. "And I've seen the signs. Blood makes you queasy, and until you can look at blood and see food and not a reason to vomit, bed is where you're going to be"

"But I'm not even tired" Damon came close to whining. "Ric, come on. All I've been looking at for the past couple of days are the four walls of my room. If I spend one more unnecessary second up there, I'm gonna kill myself" he added dramatically

"Fine" Alaric conceded. "You can stay on the couch and watch tv or play some games or read, I guess.

Damon practically gave a whoop of joy before settling down on the couch. Elijah frowned at Alaric's decision. He didn't understand why Alaric wouldn't agree with him to let Damon rest; the boy looked positively exhausted. He made to ask why when Alaric shook his head and shushed him surreptitiously before disappearing at vamp-speed and reappearing a few seconds later with a blanket. Elijah raised an eyebrow before realization slowly dawned on him. He chuckled as he joined Alaric at the dining table to wait. Sure enough, barely fifteen minutes later, the sound of a remote hitting the floor reached their ears. Alaric winked at Elijah as he stood up and moved towards the couch.

"You see, Elijah" he begun as he laid Damon more comfortably on the couch and draped the blanket over him. "Sometimes its easier to just give in and let nature run its course"

Alaric had a smug look as he poured himself and Elijah a glass of scotch, both of them sitting back and waiting for the return of two-thirds of their troubles.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or its Characters.**_

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

"You want us to … what?"

Elijah was talking on the phone and Alaric didn't even bother to look up from his where he was typing furiously. "Make yourselves comfortable. We'll be here for at least a week" he said distractedly

"But… there are three beds in here"

"Yes, Damon, we noticed" came the snippy reply. "Pick one"

"You don't mean …"

"That's not …"

"No!"

Alaric finally looked up from his phone at the chorus of protests. "I do. It is. And yes", he said to the three looking at him in bewilderment

"You want us to … **SHARE!?"**

_1 hour 43 minutes earlier_

The drive from the airport had been a quiet one, but it was anything but peaceful. The trio were exuding such negative energy, even the cab driver felt uncomfortable. Elijah and Alaric were sure he was very glad when the journey ended in approximately fifteen minutes. To compensate the man for his jittery disposition and probably the repair of his car doors from the slams Enzo and Klaus subjected it to, they gave him over three times the fare he charged, before following after their fuming charges into the hotel lobby.

Amy winced when she heard car doors slam so loudly it was as though it had happened right next to her. She sighed as she gave her friend Annette a weary look. The hotel she worked at was fancy and very expensive to stay at, and they paid her very well. But sometimes it wasn't worth some of the rich brats she had to deal with.

"Here we go" she whispered to her friend, both psyching themselves up to deal with whoever was pissed because Burberry was not opened yet or Prada didn't have the boots they wanted. With a smile that didn't quite reach their eyes on their faces, they turned to their new guests, and froze

Those three were the most good-looking guys they had seen in…well, forever, and the suddenly not-so-fake smiles that now adorned their faces showed exactly what they thought of the new arrivals. Annette swept a lock of hair behind her ears quickly, and Amy unconsciously straightened out the creases in her skirt as she recited the greeting she knew backwards.

"Welcome to Paxton Continental Hotel. How may we be of service today?" she announced, feeling slightly lightheaded when all three smiled at them

"Well, hello to you too ladies. Uh, Annette and Amy, such lovely names" one of the brunettes spoke

Both girls giggled at the playful tone the young man used, and his accent almost sent them swooning.

"We would like some rooms for the night, if you don't mind" the blond one said this time in an almost similar accent

"Sure. Of course, we can do that" Annette rushed to reply, then on a whim, asked. "Pardon me, but are you all British, or Australian? I can't really tell the difference in accents"

"No sweetheart. We've just been around a bit but most of us are from good old US of A; born and raised" the other brunette said. He had a southern ring to his tone, and his eyes were so blue they almost looked transparent. "Now, about that room, baby?"

Both girls looked flustered. "Of course, we're sorry. What kind of rooms would you like sirs?"

"Something big, with a lot of room so when you come visit, you don't feel cramped" Damon replied smoothly, chuckling at the blush that seeped up their cheeks. This was fun.

"Settle down Don Juan, and stop bothering these nice ladies" a voice suddenly cut in, causing all three to groan loudly

Amy and Annette gathered themselves and turned to the two new guests, barely managing to keep their mouths closed. These people were hot! "Welcome to Paxton Continental Hotel. How may we be of service today?"

"Thank you my dear. We would like a suite please, if there's any available" Alaric said as he dropped the bags he was carrying. He had to add Enzo's and Damon's since they flat out refused to carry them.

"Of course, sir. We have three suites available at the moment"

"Tell me about them"

"Two of the suites have three rooms; a master bedroom, a standard bedroom and a living room, and two bathrooms. The last one is the presidential suite. It's got five rooms; one master bedroom, two standard bedrooms and a living room, and three bathrooms. All the suites have a balcony overlooking the…"

"We'll take the presidential suite" Alaric cut her off, though not rudely

"Of course, sir. How long would you be staying?" Annette asked as she typed away at her keyboard

"Ten days, but leave it open with option to extend. We may stay longer" Elijah replied, balancing his and Klaus' luggage as well. Seriously, they could be a bunch of children sometimes. He looked back to where their troublesome charges had disappeared to as soon as they started engaging with the receptionists. They were still in the lobby but Damon already had another woman drooling over him, Enzo was looking around with a look on his face that said he wasn't just appreciating the beautiful architecture and Klaus had somehow managed to find a glass of whisky which he sipped from liberally. Elijah sighed. They were not making any trouble yet, better get this over with. He turned back to the reception. "We would like to speak to the manager about some room rearrangement. How soon can you get him down here?"

* * *

_20 minutes earlier_

They bounded back into the hotel a little over an hour later. They had been shopping, Amy realized, as she took in the bags they now carried. These people were so dreamy.

"Welcome back. Your bags have been sent up to your room as you requested, and this is your key. Room 1221. Enjoy your stay" she recited

"Oh sweetheart, we plan to" the brunette with the accent said. "When do you get off?"

"Five" she replied almost shyly

"Both of you?" the other brunette asked enticingly

"Y-yes" Annette stuttered

"Well, then, see you at five" he added with a wink, before almost literally getting dragged away by the slightly older man in the jeans and button down. He was probably his brother as he was the only one besides him who spoke with an American accent also.

Damon didn't even try to free his arm from Alaric's grasp; he knew it was futile. Fucking enhanced original strength, and at this point in his life, he had gotten used to it. He traipsed, and occasionally stumbled, along behind Alaric until they came to their assigned suite and he was deposited on the couch without occasion.

"Go put your stuff away. Elijah and I have to meet someone in an hour" Alaric said as he pulled out his phone

"What? We are all staying here?"

"It is a suite, Lorenzo. There's more than one room" Elijah added distractedly as he dialed a number

"Well, maybe, but…"

"No buts. Your room's through there, now scram" Alaric nodded towards a door, eyes never leaving his phone as he begun texting

And that brought them to their present predicament.

_Now_

"You want us to … **SHARE!?" **Klaus all but shrieked

"Mn mm. This is not happening" Enzo added

"You're right. It's not happening. It has already happened"

"No, it hasn't. What if I wanted to bring someone over? This looks like a dormitory in catholic school" Damon screeched. "I don't like it"

Elijah ended his call with a semi annoyed sighed, and turned to the affronted trio. "Well, it won't be much of a punishment if you did, now would it?" he said. "We told you, you will be coming along for any future travels. Here we are, and here you are too. We need to know where all three of you are at all times"

"That is not fair" Enzo started. "And…"

"If you're about to make an argument for your maturity, just remember the last time we took an eye off of you, it ended up in the emergency room" Alaric interrupted. "Besides, no catholic school dormitory is this posh. You'll be fine" he added

"Oh, this is funny is it? You're making jokes; he's making jokes" Enzo said blandly

Klaus strode to Elijah and looked him squarely in the eye. "Brother, I am not staying in this room" he declared. "What are we supposed to do anyway? Follow you around like dogs?"

Elijah looked him back unflinchingly. "Yes, you are. And if I hear any more complaints about it, you wouldn't just be sharing a room, you will be sharing a bed" he warned

All three turned to them with stony looks. "You're bluffing" Klaus managed

"You want to wager on that?"

There was silence, and Alaric chose that time to speak. "And as far as what you can do in the meantime, there's mountains and ice all around us. Why don't you try skiing? Unless you want to follow us around … like dogs" he winked.

All three huffed simultaneously and stomped off, the door literally slamming shut in an almost exact imitation of the car doors when they had arrived at the hotel. All Alaric and Elijah did was sigh and get back to getting ready for their meeting, confident in their ability to weather whatever storm those three could throw their way.


End file.
